Charlotte Transit

The governing body for the Charlotte Area Transit System voted in favor Tuesday of a controversial plan to spend $90 million to move the city’s main bus station underground, despite concerns about whether it would be best for passengers.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said she hopes Republican House Speaker Tim Moore will back the city's transit plan — even after Moore criticized it repeatedly this week.

With the possibility of hundreds of Charlotte Area Transit System drivers walking off the job next month, there are a lot of questions about what riders should expect. Here’s what you need to know to understand how we got here, and what’s likely to come next.

For Charlotte's $13.5 billion transportation plan to move forward, the General Assembly needs to allow Mecklenburg County to place a penny sales tax increase on the ballot. House Speaker Tim Moore criticized the city's plan, saying it needs to spend more on roads.

The strike would not impact the Lynx Blue Line or the Gold Line streetcar. Those drivers work directly for the city and are prohibited from striking under state law.

A Charlotte City Council committee voted to back plans to put a new bus station underground, as part of a public-private partnership to spur development.

The Charlotte Area Transit System's governance and organizational structure need a major overhaul, according to a consultant hired to review the city's transit agency. That consultant, Management Partners, found that CATS has unclear goals, departments that compete instead of cooperate, and a lack of transparency about its budget.

The Charlotte Area Transit System says the best option for a new bus station uptown is to build it underground — in line with the original plan proposed by a private developer.

Q&A: There’s a vision for better Charlotte-area transit — and it’s time to move it forward, says the head of the Centralina Regional Council.

Crews will repair track beds, signal crossings, and signal systems on Charlotte's light rail and streetcar lines.